The national Epilepsy Foundation’s West Virginia chapter is pleased to announce the addition of four new members to its statewide advisory board:
Heather Black, Parent, Proctorville, OH
Azara Singh, Pediatric Neurologist, CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital
Amanda White, Community Outreach Supervisor, The Health Plan
Lauren Lynd, Territory Manager, Neurelis
The new board members bring a wide range of expertise and resources to the Foundation’s West Virginia chapter. The new members will work with regional and national staff leadership to develop programs and support fundraising efforts for the more than 21,000 people living with epilepsy in West Virginia.
Other members currently serving are:
Kelli Caseman, Executive Director, Think Kids
Aman Dabir, MD, Neurologist, School of Medicine, WVU
Kevin Gill, Parent and Key Account Manager, LivaNova
Carol Ward, Coordinator, Office of Student Support and Well Being, WV Department of Education
Linda Anderson, Parent, Huntington
Frank Defino, Provider Liaison, UCB Pharma
David Gloss, MD, Neurologist, Charleston Area Medical Center
Samrina Hanif, MD, Neurologist, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University
Mitzi Payne, MD, Pediatric Neurologist, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University
Maurine Stuart, Parent and Board-Certified Patient Advocate, Pocahontas County
About the Epilepsy Foundation West Virginia
The EFWV is a new chapter of the national Epilepsy Foundation. Established in December, 2018, the WV chapter seeks to support and mobilize the epilepsy community through educational activities, direct services, advocacy and research. For more information visit www.epilepsy.com. Persons interested in volunteering or wanting more information may contact Kira Eyring at keyring@efa.org.
About Epilepsy
West Virginia has the second highest rate of epilepsy in the United States. At 1,174 per 100,000 population, only Mississippi is higher. ( MDedge) Epilepsy is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce seizures which are sudden abnormal bursts of electrical energy that disrupt brain functions. Over a lifetime, one in 10 people will have a seizure and one in 26 will be diagnosed with epilepsy. Epilepsy can affect anyone at any age. Each year there are 150,000 new cases of epilepsy in the United States. While there are many treatments approved to treat epilepsy, 30-40% of people with epilepsy still live with uncontrolled seizures. Moreover, the epilepsy-related medical costs associated with uncontrolled epilepsy are 2 to 10 times higher than those of controlled epilepsy.
